The phenomenon of the Islamic world- Ilham Aliyev

At the end of the twentieth century – at the beginning of the 21st century, world politics differ by its complexity and diversity. It is too important that Azerbaijan, which proclaimed independence twice during the twentieth century, maintained its this independence during the period full of globalization, international integration and social contradictions. Under such complicated historical circumstances, the prominent politician and statesman, the well-known and respected person in the world – Ilham Aliyev’s commitment and successful realization of this responsibility can be characterized as the golden age of modern Azerbaijan history. Conduction of successful foreign policy during his term as head of state has had a significant impact on the future life of Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, established normal international relations with all the countries of the world after gaining independence, and in the frame of good relations with the Muslim countries, it also protects the interests and interests of the Islamic world within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and continues to cooperate with these countries in accordance with the requirements of international law. In this regard, strengthening of Islamic solidarity in the world is one of the priority issues in the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. Namely from this point of view, declaration of 2017 year as “Islamic Solidarity Year” by decree of the President Ilham Aliyev dated January 10, 2017, is an indicator of humanistness of our state leader and at the same time it is a positive example of our country’s sensitive attitude to the Islamic Countries Union. Islamic solidarity does not only mean the solidarity of Islamic countries. This is a kind of challenge, regardless of religion, to the world’s people to live in friendship, brotherhood and multiculturalism conditions.

It is well known that sectarian wars, civil wars in the Middle East and as a result, emerged certain socio-political tensions indicate that Muslim countries are in great need of moral solidarity. The controversial political processes happening in the world, the emergence and increasingly widespread of warlike states in different countries, the strengthening of religious confrontation, and the deepening of the prejudiced attitude towards Muslims emphasize the necessity level for solidarity among people, nations and states. It can be said that one of the main reasons for exacerbating the myth of Islamic terrorism, the threat of Islamophobia, and strengthening the oppression of Islamic countries should be sought in the absence of unity and solidarity among these countries. Faith differences, contradictions in interests and positions and etc. leads to serious disagreements, and sometimes severe confrontations. Islamic religion, its sacred values, are insulted by the Islamophobia and those who are exposed to the poisonous propaganda against Islam. The bloody events that took place in the Islamic countries during last years, especially in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria are confirmation of our opinions. Cradles of ancient Eastern culture such as Baghdad, Damascus, Aleppo, Kirkuk, Basra and other cities are subject to serious destruction as a result of wars in Iraq and Syria and constant clashes, monuments of Islamic culture in these cities are destroyed. Caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad are given in the Western media, mosques, the holy book-Koran is burnt. The Western world’s official structures do not just condemn the acts of vandalism, but on the contrary, they protect, honor, and appreciate the performers of those acts.

The main purpose of the “Islamic Solidarity Year” is to strengthen the unity of the Muslim world and to show that Islam is a religion of peace and culture, and to achieve this goal, as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said, first of all, reconciliation between different sects that have historically damaged Islam should be established. The announcement of the year 2017 as the “Year of Islamic Solidarity” in Azerbaijan is a challenge to the West, which is strengthening its attacks on the Islamic world annually and promoting a new “crusades” in the 21st century. This is also a call for Islamic countries to be vigilant against the crafty intentions of the West, to demonstrate unity and solidarity. Ilham Aliyev made this important step and expressed the his own position and the position of the state of Azerbaijan. As Azerbaijan has distinguished from other states with its multicultural and tolerant values throughout its history. Islamic solidarity is also a part of this context, and this shows that President Ilham Aliyev gives great importance to the solidarity of the Islamic world. As political scientists point out, some initiatives have been made to call Muslim countries to get unified around religion. For the first time in history, the head of our state has sent a political message to the Islamic world, pointing to the importance of acting from unified position, to achieve unity and at the same time integrate into the world. It should be noted that the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the declaration of 2017 year as“Year of Islamic Solidarity” states: “The Republic of Azerbaijan has established mutually beneficial relations with the Islamic world by being selected as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ISESCO and other respected organizations joining muslim countries and has been an organizer of a number of important cultural forums of global importance. Azerbaijan has made a great contribution to the founding of tolerance environment, multiculturalism, intercultural and intercivilizational dialogue, and the promotion of Islamic values in the world. The prestige gained by Azerbaijan in the Islamic world got its expression in this results that Baku and Nakhchivan cities declared as a capital of Islamic culture in 2009 and 2018 respectively. And the decision to hold the IV Islam Solidarity Games in Baku in 2017 create favorable conditions for our country to take the next practical steps in strengthening the Islamic solidarity. ”

Only state leader of the country like Azerbaijan, where multiculturalism and solidarity are established, and citizens of different nationalities, religions and sects live in peace, has a moral right to give such a decree. The promotion of the Islamic Solidarity initiative is related to the challenges of the present and controversial processes that take place because of various reasons in the Islamic world. As it is seen here, the importance of Azerbaijan’s reputation in the Islamic world, as well as the need to strengthen the solidarity of Islamic countries, as well as the actuality of holding the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2017, have been extensively and logically expressed in this decree. With Islamic solidarity policy, Azerbaijan, as unifying facility of the Islamic world, confirms that these religious values are indeed, humanistic, moral values and reinforces belief to being of these ideas are an effective means of creating a shared living and stability environment not only in the Islamic geography but also in the entire world. Azerbaijan, which has created a partnership of cultures and ideas between East and West, fulfills the function of a of solidarity bridge, thus demonstrates its commitment to universal values, as well as its commitment to the highest values of the Islamic religion, which had a special place in the past and continuing to keep its value today. Thus, Azerbaijan uses all the means to establish steady stability in a globalizing world and propagates the peacekeeping, reconciliatory position in a unique way that is essential for today.

We suppose that this humanist initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, will promote the expansion of cooperation relationship between Muslim countries in the world and further strengthening of the Islamic solidarity. The strengthening of Islamic solidarity, in its turn, will play an important role in ensuring tranquility and peace in the Middle East and other regions.

Quality of Life in Latvia is not a priority

Four presidents, 14 governments and eight Seimas have changed in Latvia
over the past 20 years. The country joined the European Union and NATO, and
then switched to the euro. But have Latvians become better off? Has their
quality of life improved? Statistics shows that the general well-being of
population remains very low. Political turbulence only worsens the situation.

Thus, according to Numbeo.com
portal, one of the largest databases on the cost
of living and quality of life worldwide, Lithuania and Latvia are the worst
Nordic countries for quality of life.

Quality of Life Index by Country 2019

The leaders of the rating are Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Latvia
showed the lowest result, the quality of life index here is 149.15 points. In
Lithuania, the result is slightly higher – 156.36 points.
Numbeo experts took into account the purchasing power of the population,
safety, health care, the cost of living and some other factors.

It is noted that the world ranking of countries for the quality of life
is led by Denmark, Switzerland and Finland. Estonia took 11th place, Lithuania
– 29th, and Latvia – 34th.

The more so, experts said that the proportion of shadow economy in
Latvia rose by 2.2 percentage point last year to 24.2 percent.

The shadow economy proportion in Latvia has risen for the past two years
in a row.

EU-SILC survey gives
another frightening indicator. According to eurostat.ec.europa.eu, Latvia, as
well as Estonia and Lithuania are top three EU countries in terms of poverty
risk among pensioners.

Political and economic short-sightedness has lead to the state when the
Baltic States have become the first battlefield in case of war between NATO and
Russia.

The United States is preparing for the use of nuclear weapons in Europe
along with non-nuclear countries, said Vladimir Ermakov, director of the
Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign
Ministry. Experts point out that military airfields in the Baltic States and
Poland have already been prepared to receive NATO aircraft that can carry
tactical nuclear weapons. If take his words seriously, this means the end of
the Baltic States’ existence.

The behavior of the authorities guaranteed Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
the status of the first battlefield, despite the fact that in the event of war,
economy would be completely destroyed and population would disappear.

Related

How the Caspian Sea joins the Black Sea

In the
development of international cooperation and the deepening of industrial
cooperation, the leading role belongs to the formation of a network of
international transport corridors. It has a special place in solving transport
problems associated with the expansion of interstate transportation, economic,
cultural and other ties, with the creation of an international transport
infrastructure that has common technical parameters and ensures the use of a
single transportation technology as the basis for the integration of national
transport systems into the global transport system.

Developing
corridors are to play a system-forming role in the economic and social
development of the territories along which they pass. Their creation is
directly related to projects for the development of sectors of the economy and
social sphere.

If a modern
transport corridor connects the Caspian Sea and Black Sea, it will lead to
uninterrupted cargo transportation between Asia and Europe. New opportunities
for the regional states will be opened up. This was confirmed by the first
meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Romania, Georgia and
Turkmenistan, held in mid-March 2019 in Bucharest.

According
to its results, a political declaration was signed. The document reflects the
determination of the four states to implement the project of an international
freight route between two seas by joint forces.

As
expected, the corridor between the two seas will have a real impact on the
standard of living in the participating countries and cause a sharp surge in
business activity in neighboring regions.

The idea of
the project is to make full use of the geographical proximity of Romania,
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, as well as the capabilities of the ports
of Constanta in Romania, Poti in Georgia, Baku in Azerbaijan and Turkmenbashi
in Turkmenistan.

New
transport route will allow establishing a direct connection between the port of
Constanta and the Danube River, and then the rivers and canals on the European
continent, that will open access to Central and Northern Europe.

In general,
the Caspian-Black Sea region is becoming links of a single Eurasian transport
network.

The main
question is how to direct the necessary volumes of cargo along this route,
which would make its work profitable and profitable. To meet these challenges,
in the near future four countries have planned to create an expert working
group, optimize working procedures, harmonize tariffs, identify remaining
infrastructure and legal constraints, and jointly promote the project at the
international level, including in the course of interaction with the European
Union. But it will not be easy for them to achieve all these ambitious goals.

The closest
allies of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia, support all the projects aimed at
strengthening economic cooperation between Baku and other countries of the
Caspian-Black Sea region. Moscow and Ankara are lobbying for the creation of a
transport corridor between the two seas.

Azerbaijan
once again demonstrates that it is becoming one of the most important transport
hubs of Eurasia – a transit hub in which the East and the West are tightly
tied.

This
country is interested in East and West, not conflicting with each other, but
driven forward by the single energy of partnership.

China’s changing interests in South Caucasus

On April25-28,“Second Belt and Road Forum
for International Cooperation” took place in the capital city of China. From South Caucasus region only Azerbaijan
leader Aliyev was in the list of 36 top-Level attendees (Diplomat, April 27).As the Azerbaijan was
participating first forum in 2017 on ministerial level, visit of President in
second forum demonstrates intention of both sides for close cooperation within
the framework BRI.

Despite fact
that China’s strong ambition to enter European market through BRI makes Georgia
one of the most important players in the region (it has FTA both with China and
EU) its high-level officials did not attend the forum (Emerging-Europe, January 3, 2018).

Generally, South
Caucasus region was not in the Chinese focus when the BRI project was unveiled in
2013.Its attitude to the region has changed afterwards. Being part of the
Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor, South Caucasus has strategic
importance for China. At the same time, transportation projects such as
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and Anaklia Deep-Sea Port has increased significance
of the region.

From
geopolitical point of view stability in Azerbaijan and Georgia’s political
problems with Russia creates ground for Chinese presence in Caucasus. It is
clear that having political problems with West Russia is not willing to
confront China. Therefore, using these opportunities and establishing good
relations both with Georgia and Azerbaijan China is able to avoid its biggest
rival in Eurasia and use shortest way to European markets (Trend.az, April 10).

Importance of
South Caucasus countries within the BRI framework is not same. Armenia has less
potential for BRI. It does not have enough transportation infrastructure and
its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey closed. Armenia has a potential to
become a corridor to markets of Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and Iran.
However, it does not have borders with the members of EEU and railway project between Armenia and Iran is
not viable due its high costs ($3.2 billion) and less importance in commercial
means (Vestnikkavkaza, August 25, 2018).Also, China has borders
with two biggest members of EEU and could easily reach EEU markets through
them.

In the case of
Georgia, China is the biggest foreign investor. China’s Hualing Group controls
Kutaisi free industrial zone (FIZ), owns Basis Bank, hotels, wine export
enterprise. It also constructs “Tbilisi Sea New City” near Tbilisi Sea in which
company has already invested around 150 million dollars (hualing.ge).Another Chinese company CEFC Energy owns 75%
of Poti FIZ (Cbw.ge, March 20).

Unlike the
Georgia, mostly state-owned Chinese companies have invested in Azerbaijan. One
of these companies CTIEC Group constructed biggest cement factory in Azerbaijan in 2014.China also has a great interest on Baku
International Sea Trade Port as it is one of the main ports within BRI. Based
on intergovernmental grant agreement China transferred $2 million worth
equipment to the port (Azernews, April 4, 2018).

Despite fact that Azerbaijan is China’s
key trade partner in the South Caucasus (it accounts 43 percent of China’s
trade turnover in the region) it has massive investments in Georgia (Azernews, April 25). It mostly related to political orientation of these
countries. Georgia follows more western orientation that made it more
attractive for China while Azerbaijan implements balanced strategy and it does
not want to feel China’s pressure. Besides, Azerbaijan is not in need of
financial assistance like Armenia and Georgia as it has enough financial
reserves.

However, recent developments of Sino-Azeri
economic relations within the framework of the Second Belt and Road Forum creates
new perspectives for China’s presence in South Caucasus. During the forum 10 agreements
worth of 821 million USD has been signed
(Azvision.az, April 24). These contracts cover different economic spheres of non-oil
sector including the construction of a tire factory in the Sumgayit
chemical-industrial park, the creation of a 300-hectare greenhouse complex in
the Kurdamir region of Azerbaijan, and the construction of agrological
industrial parks in the Guba, Goychay and Khachmaz regions (Turan.az April 24).If we take in account that Chinese investors
have invested800 million USD in the economy of Azerbaijan since independence, obtained
agreements in the forum worth of same amount shows China’s growing interest in
Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that
China’s preference of Georgia has changed. Within the BRI project both Azerbaijan
and Georgia are of geopolitical importance for China. It is in China’s interest
to boost bilateral relations with both of countries. It is apparent that China
already has considerable investments in Georgia and now it is time to deepen
cooperation with Azerbaijan. At the same time Azerbaijan is not going to cross
limits of its balanced policy. Chinese companies that signed agreements in
second forum are government affiliated companies as well. It again shows that Azerbaijan
is willing to deepen cooperation without creating room for pressure in its
domestic economy.